One of the greatest periods of time for a sports fan is just around the corner…March Madness. Pretty much everything about the tournament is exactly what sports fans are looking for. All the top teams, the upsets, the “Cinderellas” and, of course, the brackets.
The NCAA Tournament is one of the greatest ways to decide a champion of a particular sport. 68 teams get one game against a particular team. One shot to move onto the next round. Win six (or seven) in a row, and you’re the champ. Anyone can play anyone. Perennial powers play the small schools…upsets happen. It’s great!
Now what if this particular format was brought into the PGA Tour? What if a tournament billed as a “championship” actually was? What if there was a way to finish the season, without a ranking list or anything based on money, to determine a clear-cut champ? It sounds like the way to go if you ask me!
Wait…what? They already do this? The Accenture Match-Play Championship? How is this NOT the be all and end all?! This needs to replace the PGA Championship!
As it stands now, the PGA Championship is really just another tournament. OK, it’s a major. But in effect, it’s just another tournament. When I hear “championship,” that’s exactly what I expect it to be. It should take up two weekends and should determine an actual champion! So in another attempt to come up with ideas to make viewership and interest in this sport greater, I propose the fourth major to be held at the end of the season and be renamed The PGA Tournament Championship.
Think about that. You take the top 64 golfers in the world and pair them up by seed – #1 vs. #64, #2 vs. #63, etc., just like the Match-Play Championship. The tournament is held over a four day span as usual. However, by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, only four golfers remain – The Final Four. The following weekend, the final four matchup. Thursday and Friday could be two one-on-one matchups, aggregate score wins each. Saturday and Sunday, the two remaining seeds face each other in the actual championship, again with aggregate score winning. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a winner to me!
I’m not sure exactly how you figure out the seedings – World Golf Rankings, PGA Tour money list, who knows. Hey, it’s not perfect and would need to have some details hammered out. But its got its strong points. For starters, it’s an actual Championship in the truest sense of the word. It’s exciting – every matchup matters. And perhaps just as important (and the PGA would probably never want to admit it but it’s true), is the gambling aspect. Bringing in a bracket system for fans to fill out like the NCAA basketball tournament creates even further meaning for fans. Now, every fan has a vested interest in the tournament.
The more I think about it, the more I feel it’s a winner. A tournament such as the match-play championship belongs at the end of the season, and a tournament set up as such deserves not only to be a major, but to be THE major.
Every sport needs a championship game. Golf is no different. Who wants a #1 player based on some ranking system, or worse yet, based on earnings! Battle it out on the course. In the end…the one true champion will be the one still standing.
Swing ’til you’re happy!
I’ve gotta tell you; this is the best idea for a PGA season-ender I’ve heard so far. I especially like your point about the brackets – with March Madness, even people who don’t follow the NCAA that closely will still fill a bracket out because the teams are already ranked – so it’s easy just to guess. And considering many people don’t know who most tour players are, it will be the same for golf – if they’re ranked, people will fill out the bracket – especially for a chance at winning a pot.
I’m sure someone will tell you television won’t like the format. A (potential) 5+ hour round is different than a two hour basketball game.
I don’t know, Diane – people will watch 5+ hours in a row of the NCAA tourney in the first few rounds (albeit over the course of 2 or 3 games). I think if you’re interested, you’re going to follow the match till it’s finished. If the people are interested, the networks will oblige (especially for the final tournament once a year).
I talked about this on my radio show last week and think you’re right on the money! The WGC Accenture Match Play is as exciting as a major and would be a great way to end the season… a “real” playoff.
The only adjustment I would make is expand past 64… I’m going to discuss it more in an article coming up but I like the way you think!
The problem we have to overcome is sponsors. The PGA TOUR and their sponsors will fear the early elimination of big name players which in theory will lead to fewer viewers. They probably right but who doesn’t love a cinderella story?
Great Article!